ZWNEWS.com "While Zimbabwe collapses by the day, supporters of Robert Mugabe are preparing to spend almost R8 million to celebrate the dictator's 84th birthday today. The birthday bash is being held in the dusty, derelict town of Beit Bridge on the Zimbabwean side of the Limpopo just across the border from the thriving town of Musina, which is enjoying an unprecedented boom as Zimbabweans pour in to buy staple goods no longer available in their beleaguered country. For the past few weeks Beit Bridge has been undergoing a major spruce-up in preparation for the party and, for the first time in weeks, the town has had running water and electricity in a country which marked the dictator's actual birthday on Thursday with an official inflation rate of 100 000%. Supplies of the staple mealie meal have also been available in normal supermarkets for the first time. 'It's been like a Christmas present this last week,' said a long-term resident."
The World Cup football tournament kicks off in one week, and host South Africa is busy putting on the finishing touches. But not everyone is looking forward to the tournament. Authorites in cities including Cape Town are being accused of clearing the poor from the streets - to create a good impression for visiting fans. Al Jazeera's Haru Mutasa has more.